National Historic Landmark · oil well · Titusville, Pennsylvania

Drake Oil Well

United States historic place in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.

HENRY(1873) p342 BETHLEHEM (PA), THE ORIGINAL DRAKE WELLMcLaurin(1902) pic.042 The First Drake Well in PAMcLaurin(1902) pic.045 Location at the Drake Well , PA, in 1897Camel rides, Drake Day Circus at Drake Well Park, August 24, 2013
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 6 in the Commons category

What it is

The Drake Well is a 69.5-foot-deep (21.2 m) oil well in Cherrytree Township, Pennsylvania, the success of which sparked the first oil boom in the United States. The well is the centerpiece of the Drake Well Museum located 3 miles (5 km) south of Titusville.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

Property typeBuilding
Address3 mi. SE of Titusville on PA 36, in Drake Well Memorial Park, Titusville vicinity, PA
CountyVenango County
ListedNov 13, 1966
Listed forIndustry
Level of significanceNational
Reference number66000695
Type of placeoil well
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark
Contributing resources1 building
StandingYes

The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗

Visiting

Address3 mi. SE of Titusville on PA 36, in Drake Well Memorial Park, Titusville, PA
Coordinates41.6112° N, 79.6583° W · Directions ↗
Nearest national park unitJames A Garfield National Historic Site · 87 miles · on Park Atlas
Federal campgrounds nearbyTionesta Rec. Area Campground 14 miles · Outflow Recreation Area (Pa) 14 miles · Kellettville Recreation Area (Pa) 21 miles
This one you can go inside. Hours and admission change with the season; the website above has the current schedule.

Explore

Map

Guidebooks to historic places in Pennsylvania

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Walking Philadelphia
    Natalie Pompilio, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Historical Tours Gettysburg
    Globe Pequot Press Editors and Randi Minetor, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Guide to the Battle of Gettysburg
    Jay Luvaas and Harold W. Nelson, 2012
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Historic Genesee country
    Rose O'Keefe, 2010
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

When was Drake Oil Well listed on the National Register?

Nov 13, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.

Source: National Park Service

Can I visit Drake Oil Well?

Yes. Drake Oil Well is recorded as open to the public.

Source: Wikidata

Where is Drake Oil Well?

3 mi. SE of Titusville on PA 36, in Drake Well Memorial Park, Titusville vicinity, Venango County, Pennsylvania. The nearest national park unit is James A Garfield National Historic Site, 87 miles away.

Source: James A Garfield National Historic Site

Where is the nomination form for Drake Oil Well?

The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.

Source: National Archives

Are there campgrounds near Drake Oil Well?

Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Tionesta Rec. Area Campground, 14 miles away. Outflow Recreation Area (Pa) is 14 miles away, and Kellettville Recreation Area (Pa) is 21 miles away.

Source: Campsite Atlas

Is there cell service at Drake Oil Well?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

Sources

Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000695. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.